Many types of commercial and industrial systems involve processes in which liquids are supplied via fluid control systems that may include a variety of both pumping assemblies and control valves. These fluid control systems include, but are not limited to, those used in electrical power stations, chemical manufacturing operations, food and beverage processing, liquid gas supply and disposal, water supply and disposal, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, etc. Improving the control mechanisms for the various components of these fluid control systems may reduce energy usage and increase the efficiency of these systems.
For example, with conventional fluid control systems, the control valves may have a maximum flow setting that can be locally set, but is not adjustable from a remote location. Further, many conventional fluid control systems cannot properly handle HVAC control applications involving two pipe changeover heating/cooling water systems, seasonal changeovers, and energy synchronization with a building's centrifugal chillers and condensing boilers, or with the building management system (BMS). A building management system implemented using a communications network is disclosed in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2010/0142535, the teachings and disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference thereto.
Embodiments of the present invention represent an advancement over the state of the art with respect to fluid control systems and the control thereof. These and other advantages of the invention, as well as additional inventive features, will be apparent from the description of the invention provided herein.